3 min readThiruvananthapuramUpdated: May 17, 2023 07:36 PM IST
In the wake of last week’s murder of a young doctor at a government hospital in Kerala’s Kollam district, the state government on Wednesday decided to bring out an ordinance that would make punishments for acts of violence against healthcare workers more stringent.
The ordinance to amend the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012 proposes that anyone who commits, attempts to commit, incites or inspires an act of violence against a health worker be given a minimum of six months and a maximum of five years imprisonment. A fine of a minimum of Rs 50,000 and a maximum of Rs 2 lakh will also be levied from the offender. Under the existing Act, the punishment for such crimes included imprisonment for a maximum period of three years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000.
In case an act of violence on a healthcare worker causes grievous bodily harm, the ordinance proposes imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of seven years. The fine in such cases will be a minimum of Rs 1 lakh and a maximum of Rs 5 lakh.
Approved at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the ordinance also extends protection under the Act to paramedical students, security guards, managerial staff, ambulance drivers, helpers and other health workers notified by the government. The existing Act already covers registered medical practitioners, registered nurses, medical students, and paramedical staff working at healthcare institutions.
As per the ordinance, cases registered under the amended Act would be investigated by an officer of the rank of inspector, and the investigation would be completed within 60 days. A court in every district would be assigned as a fast-track court for the trial of such cases.
The ordinance came amid a clamour from the medical fraternity in Kerala to ensure the safety of healthcare workers in the state following the murder of Dr Vandana Das on May 10.
The 23-year-old was stabbed to death in the government taluk hospital at Kottarakkara in Kollam district by school teacher S Sandeep, who was brought to the hospital by police for treatment of an injury he had sustained earlier. The man was an alcoholic and was under the influence of alcohol at the time, police had said.
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The incident triggered major protests by doctors and other healthcare workers in Kerala, and caused a political storm.
The Indian Medical Association and the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association had highlighted that under the existing Act, those committing violence against healthcare workers were not getting deterrent punishment.
Last week, the Kerala High Court, which had initiated suo motu proceedings in the wake of Dr Vandana Das’s murder, had criticised the state government for its failure to amend the 2012 Act.
